Michigan takes Tipoff

No. 4 Michigan 71, Kansas State 57: Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points before he left late in the game after he was kneed in the head, and the Wolverines won the NIT Season Tipoff at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Glenn Robinson III had 12 rebounds, and Trey Burke and Jon Horford had 10 points each for the Wolverines. Hardaway made 10 of 15 shots from the field before he was hurt with about four minutes left. He returned to the bench just in time to celebrate with the rest of his team.

Michigan (5-0) won the tournament, previously known as the Preseason NIT, for the first time.

No. 3 Ohio State 91, Mo.-Kansas City 45: Deshaun Thomas scored 15 of his 21 points as the Buckeyes coasted to a huge first-half lead in Columbus, Ohio.

The game was the final tuneup for Ohio State (4-0) before its ACC/Big Ten Showdown matchup against No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. added 13 points and LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson had 11 each as Ohio State experimented with subs for almost the entire second half.

Estan Tyler and Thomas Staton each had 7 points for the ’Roos (2-3).

No. 5 Duke 67, VCU 58: Mason Plumlee, a 6-foot-10 center who helped break VCU’s pressure, had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils over the Rams in a Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Plumlee, who had 20 points and 17 rebounds in the opening-round win over Minnesota, brought the ball across midcourt several times in each half to help Duke withstand the pressure defense that VCU calls “havoc.”

The Blue Devils (5-0) will meet the winner of the game between No. 2 Louisville and No. 13 Missouri for the championship tonight.

Howell finished with 15 rebounds and also knocked down two free throws with 5 seconds left to secure the win for North Carolina State (4-1), which finally shook free of the Bulldogs late after trailing most of the way.